A new begining
by ELIOLI
Summary: Ozzie thinks he hasn't givev enough for heather. Is it too early for her to run into love?


Chapter One

(We do not own any of these characters except the ones you haven't heard before. This is a story about what happened after all the commotion has calmed down. This is 1 year later. We've got a little phrase from Nacho Libre further into the chapter! Enjoy!)

It was early spring, and all of the woodland creatures were happy as can be. They were also celebrating someone special. It was a birthday party for now the 17-year-old Heather, and Stella as the birthday planner and even provider for the spectacular cake that RJ had snagged from one of the homes who were also having a party as well. The cake had swans and roses of all sizes and colors. The candles were a light shade of orange, but there were only 16 candles on it. Verne picked up a twig and stuck it in the middle to make up for the seventeenth candle. As they all sang _'For she's a jolly good_ _fellow,'_ she looked all around at all of the smiling creatures around her, her family. She compassionately looked at her father, Ozzie, who had given every thing in the world that a daughter could ask for.

"Make a wish honey." Penny said.

"Yeah! Come on Heather. Make a wish. Please please!" Hammy insisted.

Heather thought for a second. Then she took a deep breath and blew the candles. " What did you ask for?" RJ asked. " We won't laugh." Heather answered, "It's a secret."

Hammy busted out laughing,"Ha aha ha… wait. Was that the secret?"

"No Hammy. Remember that I can't tell you. It is a secret." Heather said. She started to turn around and looked at the cake.

"Let's all just wait for the cake later. I'm already bloated with all of them pieces of pizza in my stomach." Stella blurted as she gripped her stomach tightly.

"Yeah. Same here." The squirrel said swiftly.

Everybody all shook their heads in agreement.

"Yeah. Good pizza too. Um, how about we open some of the presents!'' Verne requested. Stella and Hammy raced to get there presents, but usually; Hammy was the first on to retrieve his present.

"Open my present first!"

" No! Open mine!"

"I'll give you a million dollars to open mine."

"You don't have a million dollars, genius."

" Let me open yours Verne if you don't mind." Heather replied. Verne said, " No no. Go a head.'' Heather fiercely opened the present. It was a golf club that looked exactly like RJ's. " Hey! That's funny. It looks exactly like **my **golf club." RJ thought for a moment. " Wait! That is my golf club!"

Vern, confused, looked at the golf club. A thought came into his mind and remembered it was RJ's.

"Oh. Heh. Sorry about that. Guess I wasn't thinking clear." Slowly, Vern handed back the blue golf club to the raccoon. RJ stared at Vern. Then he smiled.

"You know what? I really wont be needing this for a very long time." He chuckled and handed to the opossum.

"Next time we go on another food heist, you can use it to knock the brains out of the enemies! Woo! That baby is sure is strong to make guts fly every-" Vern interrupted RJ with a nudge.

"Um, it's all yours Heather!" he said quickly. He scampered back to where the animals were presenting their gifts. Vern spoke.

"Very sufficient, RJ! Okay then." He said with a sigh. "Sorry I couldn't think of a present to give you, Heather. I just thought-"

He suddenly felt a tight sensation around his shell. Heather gave Vern a big hug.

"That's ok, uncle Vern. Thanks anyways! Besides, your present would have been great!" Heather made her way back to the rock table where the cake was set. The animals smiled. Stella was up next. She walked swiftly towards her.

"Happy birthday girl!" She put her arms around her tightly. She straightened back up and beamed. "I know it may not be much of a present, " she giggled. "But you know how I envy the smell of pink petunias." With care, she placed the flower in her hand.

"Oh. Stella. You shouldn't have. This is your only flower." She looked at the skunk, sadly.

"Honey, don't worry about a thing. I got plenty more where that came from." She showed the bundles of flowers that hung above her resting ground near the log.

Heather sniffed the flower. The aroma smelled like a sweet essence of a perfume.

"Thanks." Heather added as she held on to the flower. Carefully, Stella ran back to Vern, RJ, and the others.

"Heather's gonna like this one." RJ whispered into Hammy 's ear as he cupped his hands around him. Quietly, he put his paws by his side so that the opossum wouldn't notice.

"Now it's my turn!" Hammy squealed. He waved a hand signaling the turtle and the raccoon to help. All of the rest forest animals were trading glances back and forth, wondering what the sound behind the hedge was. Then Verne was the first one to be seen, followed by RJ and then Hammy. RJ and Verne were pulling Hammy inside a small, battery-operated car. "It's a Jeep!" Heather said with excitement. She jumped up and down at the sight of her own car! Hammy, too, with the help of his friends snagged one of the toddler's toys just like RJ.

Penny gasped, "Jeepers!

Stella was shocked. "Dang."

"Awesome!" Bucky, Quillo and Spike chorused together.

"One of a kind isn't it? Top on the list! Priority shipping! Deluxe rear view mirrors, of coarse!" RJ quickly ran to heather, grasped her shoulders and showed heather as she peered in.

"This is nice, guys." Heather said as she was walking around, taking a better look at the Jeep.

"Um, Heather dear," Lou started. "You have been a great member of the family. Now we want to present you with a gift."

He stepped back one at a time for Ozzie to come through. He then bowed his back and smiled.

"My little girl is all grown up now." He traded glances at the animals. "Your keys!"

Heather looked back. "Are you serious?"

Ozzie shook his head.

"Whoa! This is unbelievable! But-"

She fainted in Stella's arms, with eyes wide open. Stella began to shake Heather up with a jolt. Her tongue was dangling back and forth.

"Wake up, girl! You haven't seen the best part yet!"

Heather made her way up, struggling with the help of Vern and her father.

RJ started. "And the best thing about this is…"

"Come on! What is it?"

"Tell us, Hon!"

"Don't make me do the stink at ya!"

"Please! Please! Please! Pretty please!"

The animals wanted to know at that very minute. Hammy started jumping up and down with his hand raised in the air.

RJ pointed to the squirrel.

"Hamilton will now speak. Guess!"

Hammy made a puzzled face. He put his hand down. "I just needed to go wee."

The animals all started to stare directly at hammy. Confused, they all looked back at RJ.

"Okay. Well, I'll just tell 'ya." RJ unlatched a secret compartment in the jeep. He pressed a button that said AC on it. Wind made its way out of the toy car and blew wind on him, making a ripple effect. All the animals watched in awe. Even neither Vern nor Hammy knew the secret to the car. Heather watched most of all. Her own car! Just see how she would ride it now!

"Um, honey?" Ozzie began. "Do you even know **how** to drive? I'm mean, you're just 17!"

RJ put his paw on the opossum's shoulder and tapped his hand slightly.

" Ozzman, listen. Your wonderful daughter is starting to grow up, fast. Give her a chance! Remember, now. I've been around people a long time. I'm probably, 22 maybe. Nix that. **I **may teach her to direct a vehicle at all cost. And don't worry. I will keep her safe."

"Thank you! Thank you! I don't know what we will do without you! My daughter could have been road kill!" As Ozzie clutched and brought his hands down to his chest, Heather just made a face.

"Dad. Stop it! We are just going to be fine. Don't worry!"

On that warm spring night, the stars were twinkling and the grass swayed in the wind. The animals were up that night, watching a show on a movie projector. Popcorn filled the air and pizza tickled their noses. They've eaten some of the cake that they reserved for a particular day from the full stomachs they had earlier. Hammy kept on jumping up and down from the heads of the other animals, and reluctantly gorged a huge amount of cheesy, salty nachos. He almost belched through half of the movie the action film of Independence Day.

"Hammy, may you please be a dear and stop hopping please." Suggested Penny as she shared pieces of the pizza to her youngyins.

"Awww. Sorry Penny. I'm just trying to see." When Hammy finished with his sentence, he came running to Vern who was lying on the green grass below.

"Hey, Vern! You want to play a game?" The squirrel asked with a grin.

"Shhhhhhh! This actually sounds weird in my perspective, but I think this is the good part!"

Hammy started to whimper. He sat for a millisecond on the log, pondering. _RJ! _He thought. He then zoomed to the clever raccoon staring at the wide screen in front of him. Hammy waved his hand in his face.

"Hey! Buddy! Can you help me find my nuts?" He questioned in a whisper tone. RJ perked up from his sidetrack from the movie. The end credits started rolling in while loud music reached the screen.

" Beats me if I don't have anything else to do. Let's start huntin' for those nuts of yours! What do you say?" The two friends trekked through the tall thicket on the other side of the hedge. Mosquitoes covered their fur and lightning bugs lit the forest night. Hammy and RJ found their way through the tough brush of tall irritating grass and thorns, Hammy spotted a mound of nuts on the edge of a creek. Nuts of all sizes were found, big and small.

"Geeze Louise! Or as Penny and Lou would say, jeepers! Look at that mountain of nuts! This place has a chock load of them. Even look at this one! It is as short as your intention-span!" RJ looked around, as his eyes were as wide as the fattest nut in the pile.

Hammy turned around and had no clue what RJ had said. "What? Did you say something?"

RJ chuckled still gazing on the pile of nuts. " I don't think we are going to be hungry for the rest of our lives. Yeah! Yeah." RJ rubbed his hand behind his head, feeling guilty for what he had said, not knowing that if Hammy even listened.

"Hey! Let's start over here! Come on! Dive in! We have 'til long when…" Hammy started to moan in a small voice, with a case of falling tears down his cheeks. His face turned red and so did his eyes.

" Oh. No. No! Hammy! I didn't mean that! It was just a big mistake! Figure of speech! Heh! My brain is a size of a peanut! Look. I'm…" RJ was interrupted by the crying Hammy. He struggled with his words as he sniffled.

"That's…okay. I just thought that… _sniffle_…you liked me. You…_sniffle_… you are my best friend!"

Oh how deeply crushed RJ was just to say a thing like that! How greedy and pathetic he thought he was!

"Hamsquad! Come back! Please! Don't leave! Nuts! You're life! Please don't!"

It was too late. Hammy hung his head down low and his arms hanging from his body. Before RJ could say an apology, he was gone.

"It wasn't the first time anybody called me stupid…" His last words deepened the selfish raccoon's heart even more. That was the most pain he had ever felt in his life.

"So RJ, when do we start driving?" Heather questioned.

RJ looked up as if they were exploding with excitement." We can start today if you want to. But for Ozzman's sake, how about we just go around the forest… shall we?" RJ reached out a hand to lead Heather in the drivers seat.

"So how do we start the car?" Heather questioned. RJ buckled himself up and adjusted the rear view mirror into place.

RJ now was going to explain. "Well, for the two legged, the have to put in a thing called … the key! And you are probably wondering what a key is." Heather was nodding her head enthusiastically. As RJ was jingling the reflecting, metal key in front of her sparkling, anxious eyes, RJ stuck it into the ignition and the jeep made a noise that none of the creatures have never heard before.

"It starts the car." RJ continued.

The toy jeep perked up and made a loud rattling noise that shook their feet and the ground below. Startled, Ozzie jumped and fell almost dead to the ground. The porcupines shot a tiny bit of quills into a tree while the three kids hid behind the parents. Hammy quickly dashed to the log as the speed of light. The skunk's highly contaminated gas flown and the stench was horrific! Vern ducked into his hard shell and was shaking just like the car. Even more!

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" squeal the terrified marsupial. She scampered out of the Jeep and hid beside it. RJ began patting the rubbery seat, showing Heather everything was okay.

"Heather, Heather," RJ said chuckling. "Do not be a scaredy cat. You're now starting the car."

The animals were slowly awakening from their fear of the present. Ozzie staggered his way up to his feet. Vern popped out of his shell. Stella had let loose of her natural flatulence. The porcupines uncovered their furry yet pointy faces while Hammy came running out of the log.

"The car is evil! EVIL!" yelled the red hyperactive squirrel.

"Hamilton, it's the engine. Now don't worry yourselves out kids. We'll be back 'till sundown. Now let's give this baby a go! Shall we?"

The car was cranked and zoomed away like there was no tomorrow.

As Heather and RJ were off, the forest animals were waving good-bye. Ozzie was waving and saying a few things of caution as the two

rode off. Hammy just sneered at RJ and folded his arms.

"Be careful, honey! Don't go too far!"

As the worried Ozzie yelled after the two, Stella put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. Your daughter is gonna be okay. She's almost a grownup. Give her a chance."

"Yes. But I don't think I have given what's best for her. I mean, she doesn't have anybody like herself. All she'll probably think I'm just an embarrassment to mankind! What can I do for her? What can I do?"

The skunk thought for a minute. As she knew now what to say, finally she spoke words of encouragement.

"She'll be finding her own man someday. A nice one. If he does one lil' thing to Heather, I'll…"

"Please. Calm yourself."

The three of them just watched as they made their way to the setting sun. This was a good day.

The wind was down to a gentle breeze and Heather was doing quite well with her first driving lesson. They've swerved here and there with a screech but it was great for a first start. The terrain was all boggy and very sticky after the morning shower. She had trouble making it out, but with RJ's guidance, nothing will at least go wrong. Hopefully.

"Remember," RJ said, " Always keep your eyes on the grass. I'm the one responsible for you so you wont end up like rode kill!" As the two giggled driving down the edge of the forest, they both decided to take a break near a crystal lake pouring down beside a ledge or rocks they could rest on.

"Let's stop here. I'm bushed."

RJ then grasped the paw of heather as he was making his way above the rocks that were covered with serene water. One by one they finally made it to an end to settle on. They carefully sat by the lake on a steady log.

"Hey, RJ." Heather motioned to the raccoon. "Look at the reflection! I see something! It's amazing!"

He started to wonder what it was. As he took a big, deep breath, he finally saw something that captivated him. Their reflection did show that amazing thing Heather wondered about. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. He stared at the little fish that swam about and that splashed in the water.

His thought was on another subject. He just stood there, listening to the quiet brook.

As there was a moment of silence, RJ wanted to ask here a long awaited question that has been in his mind for the past year.

RJ took a deep breath. "Um… Heather? Just out of curiosity… I…not to be rude or anything, but, um…" RJ stuttered, thinking the right way to put it while he was dangling his tail in the water.

"You can tell me. Whatever you were going to say wont offend me." Heather said compassionately. RJ new what he was going to say until he was just starring face to face with the pretty blue eyed opossum. RJ did not want to see those eyes turn into tears, but he had to ask.

" Did you have a mother?" RJ asked. Heather turned her head. RJ couldn't tell if he said something wrong.

_Shoot! I shouldn't have asked such a stupid question. Why RJ why! I could kill myself now if I had my golf club! _RJ said to himself. RJ slapped his hand with his tiny knuckle. " I'm sorry Heather. I was just… it slipped my…'' Heather quickly put her hand on his mouth and started to speak in a low voice. " Shhhhhhh! Do you hear that? " RJ and Heather got up and started to look for the constant dripping sound of water. The place sounded hollow. Cautiously, they tiptoed just in case they were disturbing anything in their sight. As RJ felt around, Heather was picking up a scent of rotten flowers. "Look! It's a cave!" They both found the cave and looked around in aw.

"You have a really good sense of hearing Heather. So… what do we do now?" RJ wondered. He suddenly fell with a jolt and his face landed in the dust.

"Oh! RJ! Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm…phhh…fine. Swell." He swiped all of the dirt that was in his mouth. He got up to his feet again and began the search.

He picked up something from a mound of dirt that was a shape of a small square. The square was about Heather's size if she lied right beside it, but it was a little bit bigger than her. '' This kind of looks like a flower of some sort. From my observations… it looks like a Tulip." As RJ finished observing he turned toward Heather. He held out the flower. "Tulip?" RJ asked if Heather wanted the flower, but Heather, looking on the ground seemed disturbed.

"What's the matter?" RJ asked worryingly.

Heather looked at him in a weird sort of way. Then she spoke. "I just have a weird feeling about this place."

RJ leaned to look at what Heather had discovered. Words had once been carved on the ground but were worn away by water and rocks. RJ shrugged and motioned Heather to get out of the cave.

"Man this place is awesome!" RJ cried.

"It's pretty spooky to me. How 'bout getting out of here. Its…"

RJ interrupted with a shush.

"What?"

"Listen."

A cry for help was heard in a far distance. The two traded glances and turned.

"Okay. So, maybe this place is full with loads of dead people. Big deal!"

"Um, RJ. I think somebody isn't dead. I think they need help. Come on!"

The forest creatures swiftly ran to see what the commotion was. They headed to a dark cave. A drip of cave water dropped and rocks crumbled down to the rugged earth as their paws touched the cold ground. The noise grew louder and louder and every second counted for the life of the creature.

_I new this was a bad idea_, thought Heather, tightly holding RJ's hand for safety. _I sure hope the others are safe. _


End file.
